


stitches

by castielwholmes



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, i couldn't think of a better title i'm sorry, single dad au fuels me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 13:47:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16041695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castielwholmes/pseuds/castielwholmes
Summary: Though the first words to come to mind are “rudely awakened,” Kuro can’t seem to find anything unpleasant about being stirred from sleep by his boyfriend’s son attempting to squeeze himself between them on the couch.





	stitches

**Author's Note:**

> listen i've had single dad keito/kindergarten teacher kuro in my head since wolf kuro but i can't write long fic for the life of me no matter how much it's planned out so i had to get this out there bc i need to share this idea with the world i hope u enjoy

Though the first words to come to mind are “rudely awakened,” Kuro can’t seem to find anything unpleasant about being stirred from sleep by his boyfriend’s son attempting to squeeze himself between them on the couch. At least Keito doesn’t seem to notice. The other man needs the rest much more than him. He doesn’t know how he manages to balance being a dad and the vice president of the Tenshouin Corporation, but he supposes having a childhood friend as the president allows him at least a bit of leeway. Not that Keito isn’t constantly complaining about the amount of work forced on him because he’s too sick to do it. Kuro may be a kindergarten teacher despite his looks, but at least he has fun with the work he does.

“Hey kid, what’s up?” He tries to keep his voice down, but either Keito heard him or he’s been a dad long enough to know his son is looking for him because he stirs at his side, sitting up and adjusting his glasses.

“Souma, aren’t you supposed to be in your room?”

“I thought it was unfair that you and Kiryu-dono had naptime together after you had put me in my room for my own rest period. Next time I would like to be invited, please.” The mature way this kid talks in contrast with the typical childish things he said is one of the things that charmed Kuro so damn much about him. “Also, I wanted him to meet my turtle.” Souma reveals what he’d been hiding behind his back, a neon green stuffed animal that seems much less biologically accurate than what he would’ve expected Keito to buy for his son.

“He’s a handsome fella, isn’t he?” He reaches over to pat the boy’s head. Souma beams.

“Souma, can you tell Kiryu your turtle’s name?”

“Yes!” Keito looks at Souma as if prompting him to go on, but he says nothing.

“ _Will_ you tell Kiryu your turtle’s name?” Kuro laughs at his boyfriend’s tired yet patient expression, one he knows all too well.

Souma’s face lights up as if he’s had a realization. “Ah! His name is Kamedo- Kamigo- Kamengo-“

“Kamegorou,” Keito supplies. “He even insisted I teach him to write the kanji.”

“Yes! Kiryu-dono, would you like to hold him?” The boy holds out the toy centimeters from Kuro’s face. “Kamedoro-“

“Kamegorou,” Keito repeats.

“Kamegorou is a very important friend of mine and Father’s. We met him when Father took me to the aquarian!”

“Aquarium.”

“Is that not what I said?” The look on Keito’s face is another that Kuro knows very well.

Kuro turns to Souma. “You sure it’s okay for me to hold him? If he’s so special to ya I don’t wanna hurt him.” Souma nods enthusiastically.

“Father says that Kiryu-dono is his very special friend, so that you should meet such an important friend as Kamegorou is appropriate, I think!” He holds the turtle even closer, looking extremely pleased when Kuro takes it.

Kuro grins. “Very special friend, huh, Hasumi? I like that.” The other man flushes red, clumsily pushing his glasses up his nose in embarrassment.

“You need to be careful when telling children these things. You remember what happened when he asked me why I kiss you differently from how I kiss him.”

He does remember. When Souma was in his class the year before, he’d overheard him talking to his friend Adonis, holding both his hands and explaining how his father told him about a special kiss that is only to be shared with one special person your own age. He wasn’t sure how much the other kid understood due to his limited knowledge of Japanese, but he nodded along as Souma talked much like he would any time the other boy would start rambling. He must’ve understood when Souma asked if he could show him, or at least Kuro hoped, because his boyfriend’s son had put his hands on his friend’s cheeks and kissed him on the mouth. Kuro thanked all the gods he could think of for giving him the sense not to try anything more than just touching Keito’s lips with his own when Souma could see. Judging by how horrified the other man had looked when Souma ran up to him, pulling Adonis along and announcing that he gave Adonisu-dono a special kiss because he’s little like him and he’s his bestest friend in the whole world, he figured he probably would have had a heart attack if Kuro had had to tell him his six year old son just tried to tongue kiss his best friend.

“…Father accidentally stepped on him, though, so he is fragile. I ask you to please be careful!” Souma tugs on Kuro’s sleeve, pointing at some messy stitching along one flipper and looking accusingly at his dad. Keito sighs, shaking his head.

“This is why we don’t leave toys on the floor. And I fixed him, didn’t I?”

Souma still doesn’t look satisfied. Kuro inspects the toy, finding the knot and breaking the thread with his teeth. The boy gasps. “Kiryu-dono! How could you?” He looks like he’s about to cry, reaching out to try to take the toy back.

“Relax, relax. I happen to be really good at stuffed animal surgery. Remember all the teddies in my classroom?” Souma nods, still looking suspicious of him with tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “All of those had been broken at some point, but I fixed them. Can you give me a chance with Kamegorou-kun? I promise I’ll take care of him. Hasumi, can you get the thread you used?” Keito nods, excusing himself to go find it. “Souma, how about you hold him ‘til your old man gets back. I think he’d like to be with ya at a time like this.”

“Okay…” Souma responds carefully, taking the turtle back and clutching it to his chest. A little bit of stuffing spills out through the rip. “Do you promise you’ll fix him?” He doesn’t seem satisfied by Kuro’s affirmation, sticking out his pinkie finger. “Promise me.”

Souma’s pinkie barely wraps around Kuro’s, but he finally seems to be convinced. He sits down next to him on the couch, kicking his legs while he waits for his dad to come back.

“So, how’d you know you wanted this little fella?” Kuro asks. “There’re lots of different toys there, why’d ya choose him out of all the turtles?” Souma looks up at him, considering his words.

“Well, he is very cute, do you not think so?” Kuro laughs.

“Yeah, he is. Real cute. Suits you and your dad.” Souma seems pleased with his response.

“There were other turtles that looked more like real ones, but Father said I could pick out only one. He suggested one that came with a book about the names of different parts of the turtle, but Kamegorou was simply too cute to ignore.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Hasumi.” He grins. “I think you made a good choice. My sister would’ve loved something like that when she was your age. Probably even now. Did I tell ya all the stuffed animals in my classroom were hers?”

“Yes, Kiryu-dono. You told us many times about Akako-dono.” Kuro runs a hand through his hair, a little embarrassed.

“I guess I do talk about her a lot, huh.”

“Here,” Keito announces as he reenters the room. He’s holding a simple sewing kit, one you could probably get for ¥100. Not what he’s used to working with, but it’ll do. Keito sits on Souma’s other side.

“Thanks. Souma, can I see his injury? You don’t gotta let go, just let me see what I can do.” The boy obliges, watching in awe as Kuro threads the needle and passes it through the flipper with a few smooth strokes. He gasps when Kuro pulls the thread to finish it and the stitches disappear.

“Incredible! As expected of Kiryu-dono!” he exclaims as if he’d never doubted his skills. “Kamegorou, are you okay? Did it hurt?” He seems very concerned as he addresses his toy.

Honestly, Kuro hadn’t even thought of asking anything in return, but Keito’s warm smile makes him feel like he’s getting repaid tenfold. His boyfriend then leans over to press a kiss to his cheek, and now it just feels like he’s being overcompensated. Not that he’s complaining.

“Souma, what do you say?” Keito prompts.

He stands up immediately, facing Kuro and bowing deeply. “Thank you very much! I am in your debt. If there is any way my life may be of assistance to you, please let me know.” Kuro pets his head again, laughing gently.

“Don’t worry about it. Your feelin’s are more than enough.” He motions for him to sit back down with them, and Souma climbs back on to snuggle between the two. The boy yawns, rubbing his eye with the hand not clinging onto Kamegorou.

“Mmkay.” He sounds like a child of six should, squirming in order to get closer to Keito. Kuro puts an arm over Keito’s shoulders, who leans against his own as Souma decides he wants to be held rather than just cuddling up to his dad. Keito sighs, looking at his son with a soft expression that Kuro loves seeing on him.

“He’s always like this,” he states. “He’s never tired when I send him to his room for some down time, but once he’s done he’s exhausted. Probably because he spends the whole time swinging that katana of his when I would prefer he be meditating.” Keito’s smile doesn’t match the disapproval he’s attempting to put in his words.

“Not tired…” Souma mumbles. It’s not even a minute before his breathing evens out to a steady rhythm.

Keito shakes his head. “Incorrigible,” he complains gently, pressing a kiss to the top of his son’s head. “Well, he needed the nap, so it seems I’m not going to be able to move for a while.”

Kuro doesn’t see why he couldn’t carry him to his room, but if it means he gets to cuddle the little family he loves then he’s not going to say anything but “Yeah, looks like it.” His boyfriend is back asleep before he can finish his sentence. He really doesn’t know how he does it.

But hey, this is far from the worst situation he could be in. Right now, he’d bet that he’s the happiest guy in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm over at @adosoumas on twitter if you'd like to scream with me  
> kudos/comments are always appreciated if you liked it!! thank you for reading!!


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